U.S. Ladies [#20]: In a Week, Maybe Two, They'll Make You a Star

[Catherine M]

My brother just texted me asking me if Ashley has a valid complaint so even non fans are aware of what's going on!

I personally never, ever get caught up in marks and who "deserves" to go as it makes me crazy. I'm just want to see good skating and for me last night, the podium was correct.

Good luck to Bradie, Mirai, and Karen in Korea. And good luck to Ashley in whatever decision she makes about her 4CC participation.

 

[Meoima]

She hasn't delivered this season but neither has Mirai nor Karen. Ashley laid it down last night and deserved higher PCS. The fact that she lost on PCS to Karen (let alone Bradie) says so much about where USFSA is at and what their agenda is. The only US lady who can compete on an international level at this point on PCS alone is Ashley (especially with Gracie taking time off as well), and she was completely robbed in both the SP and LP on the second mark.

I think WD from SA during the free skate harmed Ashley’s chance in the eyes of the fed, but it’s just my guess.

 

[berthesghost]

My brother just texted me asking me if Ashley has a valid complaint so even non fans are aware of what's going on!

Ashley has actually managed to breakthrough into mainstream awareness. It’s a shame there really isn’t much of a pro sunset to skate off into because Ashley is more prepared than anyone of this past decade: only one to medal at worlds, and in USA to boot!, only one with 3 nat titles and also being on the nat podium/world team almost every single year, plus able to market herself as having a rep for performance that outshines the others, so really a pro tour dream member. Now, if only there were shows.

 

[smarts1]

Ashley's tweet as of 26 minutes ago: As an athlete, I'm allowed to be mad. As a senior competitor with over 10 years of experience, I'm allowed to question things. At the end of the day, I laid out my best and I'm going home proud! Congrats to the lovely ladies of the team, you've got me in your cheering squad now!

 

[hoptoad]

I know this isn't an important part of BOW [but should be], however Bradie and Mirai had the highest scores in front of international judging panels this season on the GP circuit and both finished 1-2 here. Mariah was no. 3 with a 188 at RC.

I honestly feel like if anyone got hosed here it was Mariah. She fell on a rotated 2A [I know, dumb move] but Karen got a DG and had UR problems, and Ashley popped a jump, more egregious in TES. I know that doesn't matter because Mariah beat them both in TES, so you have to consider PCS: Mariah skates with speed and power just like Karen [I can't compare one against the other but both are fast], but for me, Mariah's movements are cleaner and better defined. Ashley 'performs' better than anyone else and that is part of PCS, but Mariah shines and sparkles when she is on and is faster and more sure-footed, so in this sense, IDK how to break it down in PCS between the 3 - maybe it's a wash when you consider the different categories of PCS. So, Mariah beats them both on TES and should've been 3rd.

ETA - I glanced at the PCS: Karen - 69, Ashley - 68, Mariah - 62. Isn't that gap a little much?

I thought Mariah skated really well, and after Ashley skated I was wondering if she'd done enough to beat Mariah, let alone those left to skate.

I liked Ashley's program, but it felt more like a show skate, kind of empty except for the big jumping passes. She sold it, as she always does, but it surely would have been a better program with a whole season of mileage on it.

 

[Vagabond]

Interesting tidbit:

https://twitter.com/LynnRutherford/status/949544686833737729

The USFS at Champs Camp suggested that Bradie change her Cinderella LP. She and her coach decided to keep it.

Cinderella shall go to the ball!

 

[thvu]

I love when folks that say "I"m sorry for someone then immediately say "you brought it on yourself". We all know you're really not sorry.

It’s possible to feel different ways about the same thing. What makes you qualified to tell some one else how they’re feeling is incorrect?

 

[legjumper]

I honestly feel like if anyone got hosed here it was Mariah. She fell on a rotated 2A [I know, dumb move] but Karen got a DG and had UR problems, and Ashley popped a jump, more egregious in TES. I know that doesn't matter because Mariah beat them both in TES, so you have to consider PCS: Mariah skates with speed and power just like Karen [I can't compare one against the other but both are fast], but for me, Mariah's movements are cleaner and better defined. Ashley 'performs' better than anyone else and that is part of PCS, but Mariah shines and sparkles when she is on and is faster and more sure-footed, so in this sense, IDK how to break it down in PCS between the 3 - maybe it's a wash when you consider the different categories of PCS. So, Mariah beats them both on TES and should've been 3rd.

ETA - I glanced at the PCS: Karen - 69, Ashley - 68, Mariah - 62. Isn't that gap a little much?

For me, in the arena, where Mariah lost on PCS is that she seemed to spend all of her time in the center 2/3 of the rink and didn't seem totally connected to the music. I also find her skating slightly brittle in the knees in a way that prevents her from really "filling" the space - there's always a sense of "thinness" to her skating. Her performance wasn't bad so much as there wasn't anything in it to give her that push over the top to put her in the conversation for an Olympic spot. She needed a lights-out kind of performance for that, but that didn't happen for her.

 

[topaz]

It’s possible to feel different ways about the same thing. What makes you qualified to tell some one else how they’re feeling is incorrect?

Based on the commenter's past comments about Ashley Wagner, I came to the conclusion that he's not really sorry at all.

You HAVE read Jammers comments about Ashley over the last few seasons, he's not a fan of her at all.

 

[Former FS FAN]

I find it hysterical that USFSA disabled commenting on their IG posts about the Olympic team.

USFSA did the same thing 4 years ago after Ladies team selection.

 

[Vagabond]

Ashley laid it down last night and deserved higher PCS. The fact that she lost on PCS to Karen (let alone Bradie) says so much about where USFSA is at and what their agenda is.

Fair and accurate judging?

 

[VGThuy]

Who would have thought almost exactly two years ago that the 2018 Olympic team would include neither Gracie nor Ashley?

 

[wickedwitch]

Who would have thought almost exactly two years ago that the 2018 Olympic team would include neither Gracie nor Ashley?

Or Polina?!? Polina was terrific at Nats two years ago.

 

[casken]

No way. No way is Mirai a threat for that podium. I love her, but no. The international judges always nail her on URs - which the judges here all but ignored. She also tends to get very low PCS due to the lack of choreography, transitions, and performance in her programs.

100%. I don't get where people think those simple, slow, plodding programs with almost nil expression are going to do well in front of an international panel.

The PCS for Nigasu remind me a lot of the year Ryan Bradley was pushed up to the National title, and then he went to Worlds and reality hit.

 

[FunnyBut]

It’s official, Ashley won’t be named to the team. I keep coming back to the KnC comments of Ashley and Rafael. It seems Rafael was saying ‘it doesn’t matter’, which I interpreted to mean she’ll be named regardless. And Ashley said ‘it matters a little bit’, like she’d like to qualify with a bang. As it turned out, it mattered a lot. I feel bad for Ashley, but I’m also happy for the 3 that get to go. Just stating the obvious, but sport is poignant only when there is so much at stake.

 

[barbk]

I don't understand the PCS scores from last night at all. Bradie's jumps and spins were great. She is not yet soup on the performance front. Much to my surprise, Bell is soup. I didn't think she'd get there.

I thought Polina was boring as hell when she placed second four years ago, and Bradie is less interesting to watch. I'd still have had Bradie on the podium, possibly still in first, but those PCS scores are a HUH? Bell wuz robbed on the PCS.

 

[vesperholly]

I wish Angela Wang had been named to the 4CCs team instead of Starr. Starr was wonderful but she really should concentrate on her junior program and the 3lutz for Junior Worlds. I'm about 60/40 on Ashley withdrawing from 4CC, but I'd rather Angela take Starr's place.

 

[Vagabond]

I wish Angela Wang had been named to the 4CCs team instead of Starr.

I name no names, but have a sneaking suspicion that one of the two other ladies beside Andrews who was named to the Four Continents Team will choose not to go and that Wang will go in her place.

 

[barbk]

I think Andrews might place better at 4CCs than at Junior Worlds given the lutz issue.

 

[Vagabond]

Andrews flutzes, but she does seem to have a fully rotated flutz. That should count for something.

 

[Karina1974]

Ashley's tweet as of 26 minutes ago: As an athlete, I'm allowed to be mad. As a senior competitor with over 10 years of experience, I'm allowed to question things. At the end of the day, I laid out my best and I'm going home proud! Congrats to the lovely ladies of the team, you've got me in your cheering squad now!

All very well and good, but she could have showed more class. When I was competing 30 years ago (baton twirling) it was DRILLED into my head that you don't throw public snit fits about the judging at the competition. You graciously accept the results and do your crying and screaming in PRIVATE. Nothing to do with being "lady like" as another poster mentioned, but everything to do with class and sportsmanship.

 

[Yazmeen]

This may not be popular here, but my two cents:

IMO, Ashley has coasted more than a bit on her past accomplishments and her presentation skills over the past 2 seasons and allowed the technical to slide, not good since the technical side was never her strong point. She simply has not been as good as she was at Worlds 2016 and the downward slide worsened this season. I think its possible she (and Raf, although that's not his style) saw her as a probable lock for team, especially with Gracie's withdrawal. But then came "Hurricane Bradie" at SA, throwing a huge wrench into the situation.

She also shot herself in the foot by competing as minimally as possible this season, and going back and forth on what program she would be skating. While one can argue at least to a small extent that she was low-balled in PCS at Nationals, in all honesty, the only person who prevented Ashley from making another Olympic team was Ashley herself. And I believe she knows that, and it's killing her. I think the smartest thing she could do right now is suck it up, go to 4CC and kick ice, and cheer her fellow skaters on in Pyeongchang. I love Ashley and wanted her on the team, but I hope she shuts up about the judging and doesn't take any further spotlight away from her fellow competitors. It's time to be there for Adam and be gracious, no matter how unfair she thinks it is.

 

[Willin]

I wonder if Ashley will go to 4CC as a last competition. It's possible one two of the Olympic team members won't go to worlds and she'll be able to go instead, but I don't think she should risk that - the Olympic team members aren't guaranteed to do that.

I thought her not training until late Summer was 2016-2017? But if she did it again after last season, she probably deserves to be left off the team. That lack of training may be why she couldn't do that second 3-3. There are plenty of older skaters (including Carolina in Ladies) this year showing that you can remain competitive if you train hard enough, so I've been wondering why Ashley has gone downhill lately. If she's really not been starting until that late, no wonder. Skating at that level is a year round thing - most top competitors don't take more than a week or two off after worlds.

@Karina1974 Well, perhaps she should've, but this is also a new day and age. She knows she shouldn't have said that, but she also knows it will bring attention to not only her, but the sport and the other Olympic team members. So while I don't think it's intentional, I'm sure her behavior here will reignite some interest and hype in figure skating for the Olympics - just as her Kiss & Cry swear last Olympics did. Heck, her quote was the big story advertised for the 11:00 news last night and is now probably the biggest controversy everyone is talking about regarding the Olympic team.

 

[GreatLakesGal]

I think WD from SA during the free skate harmed Ashley’s chance in the eyes of the fed, but it’s just my guess.

It might have been the final straw for them along with making the last minute FS change.

For whatever reason, Ashley failed to capitalize on her silver medal win in Boston. She was given a warning about that at 2017 Nationals but again, for whatever reason, she had another weak season. Did her team not warn her about the potential consequences of that or did she just not listen?

 

[Yazmeen]

It might have been the final straw for them along with making the last minute FS change.

For whatever reason, Ashley failed to capitalize on her silver medal win in Boston. She was given a warning about that at 2017 Nationals but again, for whatever reason, she had another weak season. Did her team not warn her about the potential consequences of that or did she just not listen?

I would bet on not listening. Ashley has a bit of Tonya in her, she likes to do things her way. And this time it bit her big time.

 

[Yazmeen]

Looks like I'm not alone in my opinion:

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2018/01/ash...e-but-herself-for-not-making-the-olympic-team

 

[Willin]

In other news, Gracie is at Nationals and live-tweeting and it's amazing! She said she was inspired to come back.

Seriously though is that really her I don't remember her being this funny and open in the past - she even made fun of Frank Carroll firing her!

 

[olympic]

Too bad Tarasova isn’t still in the game. I would send someone like Bradie to her. Tarasova was good at taking an unflappable skater with proper edges, rotations, confidence and working on that je ne sais quoi

 

[vesperholly]

I name no names, but have a sneaking suspicion that one of the two other ladies beside Andrews who was named to the Four Continents Team will choose not to go and that Wang will go in her place.

Yes ... as I said in the rest of my post ... "I'm about 60/40 on Ashley withdrawing from 4CC, but I'd rather Angela take Starr's place."

 

[Teamgracie]

I think the US is doing what some folks want, going the way of the Russians, jumps above anything else. For me skating has lost so much with this but it’s how things are sadly. I was happy for Mirai. Good luck to the pairs today, I find that more interesting to watch now.